Final DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway!
Is this mike on? *tap tap*
Hidy-ho, StarHearts! I know I’ve been MIA, but I have such a good excuse. I’ve been out meeting some of you! I took my show on the road there for a bit. Most recently I was in Ontario, California for a way-more-fun-than-is-healthy-for-stay-at-home-writers panel with Jay Asher, Alexandra Monir, and Anna Carey. (For like 5 minutes Tahereh Mafi was there as well but she had to judge a spelling bee so she couldn’t stay. It was great to meet her, though, even if she couldn’t hang for long.)
And the fun doesn’t stop there. I’ll be in Nantucket June 15-17. I’ll be there for the Nantucket Book Festival, pimping some hardbacks. (Oooh that sounds way dirtier than I thought it would!) There are more appearances being worked out and will post them on my website as soon as I get all the details.
Anyway! The whole point of this rambling, half-incoherent post is that I’ve been wicked busy. But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about you.
I’m giving away the last of my ARC’s before the book comes out. 3 of them! We’re going to have ourselves a regular bonanza! And of course, I have a doozy of a question for you.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song for the STARCROSSED series, which one would it be?
Be sure and leave me your answer as a comment.
The 3 winners will receive a signed ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with signed DREAMLESS bookplates.
In order to enter the giveaway simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Friday, May 25th. The winner will be announced on Saturday, May 27th.
Thank you and good luck to all!! 
Josie
Last Chance To Win A DREAMLESS ARC
I have three ARCs of DREAMLESS left. So, for my final DREAMLESS giveaway, I’m giving them all alway!
I’ll post the details tomorrow.
And The Winner of the Dreamless ARC is…
Rebecca Hipworth
Congratulations, Rebecca!
Please send me your mailing address and I will send the ARC out to you ASAP. :)
As for the question, I asked you all what you would do if you found out that your best friend’s significant other was cheating on him/her– would you tell? And most of you said that you would. But I was a bit surprised (as always) that there were quite a few of you that said you would stay out of it.
I would NEVER be able to keep my mouth shut about something like that, even if it caused problems with my relationship with my friend. Even if I tried to keep it a secret because that was the best possible thing for my friend, I’m pretty sure it would just slip out. We’d be going to see and movie and I’d be all, “Hey (best friend). Pass the popcorn. And your man is a dirty lying whore.” I just don’t think I’d be able to keep my big mouth shut. It’s a problem being half Irish, half Italian. You end up saying whatever the hell you’re thinking and sometimes it gets messy.
As always, this question is something that may come up in my next book. Keep in mind that all of these questions I’m asking you are research for me. I’m really interested in what you all have to say and I want to know why you think the way you do. Finding out how and why people think the way they do helps me add layers to my characters, so I value all of your input.
Thanks again for taking the time to help me sort through some sticky moral issues, and I’ll be back again soon with another question and more stuff to give away soon.
Big Hug!
Josie
Ontario California Teen Book Festival
I will be at the 2nd annual Teen Book Festival in Ontario, California, THIS SATURDAY May 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. I would love to see all of my Southern California StarHearts there! ♥
Jay Asher, Anna Carey, and Alexandra Monir will also be there.
It will be tons of fun!
For information call: 909-395-2225.
Dreamless ARC Giveaway – The End is Near!
32 days to go before DREAMLESS comes out! I’m going to be doing a whole Nantucket-themed thing (haven’t really hammered out the details yet) right before the release, but I figured I still needed to keep my StarHearts’ old home fires burning with an in-between giveaway.
As you may know by now, I’ve been doing a bit of globe-trotting recently. I was in Chicago for RT, which is a big convention for both authors and readers. I roomed with Amy Plum and Tara Hudson– not because we had to, but because we thought it would be fun. And it was fun. Maybe a bit too much fun. I think I slept a grand total of 4 hours in 3 days.
Then, massively jet lagged, I went on to Sweden to speak at a festival called, LituraLund about the importance of reading. It was both pretty amazing and terrifying. Not that the Swedish are terrifying people, in fact they are stunningly sweet and welcoming, but I hadn’t spoken in front of so many teenagers since I was one. After initially wanting to run screaming from the auditorium, I eventually figured out how to use a Madonna-like headpiece microphone thingy without feeling like too much of a tool.
Then I came back to Los Angeles for the LA Times Festival of Books. I was on a panel, and used a basic, standing microphone instead of a head-hugger. Needless to say, I’m now nursing one hell of a cold. I don’t know if it was that lady coughing her brains out next to me on the 12 billion hour flight from London to LA, or if it was shaking hands and hugging so many people over the last few weeks, or tromping through the frozen streets of Lund, but man, am I sick. Did I mentioned it snowed while I was in Lund? Sweden is like, way north. It’s freaking arctic north, and my thin Southern California blood apparently doesn’t approve of snow in April.
Now, about that giveaway, as before, the winner will receive a signed ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with a signed DREAMLESS bookplate.
As for the question, I’m curious as to what you would do given this situation. Say you were out and saw your best friend’s meaningful other with someone else. Would you tell your best friend, or let things play out? It’s a tough one, I know. But what would you do? Leave me a comment with your answer.
In order to enter the giveaway simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Wednesday, May 2nd. The winner will be announced on Thursday May 3rd.
Thank you and good luck to all!!
Josie
And the winner of the Easter Dreamless Giveaway is…
Ina Park
Congratulations, Ina!
Please email me your address so I can send you the Dreamless ARC.
So here I am at RT, which is a huge book conference for Romance and YA writers. Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris were both here. I didn’t get to fan-girl either of them because I was waaay on the other side of the room, at my table, signing books. *sigh* But I felt their presence, and it was a beautiful thing.
But, about that giveaway…
I just want to say that there are a lot of forgiving girls out there. Most of you said that it depended on the circumstance and how committed you were to the man who had wronged you– which makes sense, of course– and most of you said that you would forgive him. At least the first time.
It sort of made me feel like a vindictive so-and-so. I would NEVER take a guy back if he dumped me. I never have, and I never will, no matter what the circumstance. Okay, if my husband dumped me because some evil Overlord was going to drop me into a bubbling vat of boiling acid if he didn’t divorce me, and then my dearest love killed said evil Overlord and begged for my forgiveness THEN I would forgive him. But that’s about it.
Maybe it is stingy of me, but I always see the ending of a relationship as being sort of like driving off a parking lot that has those spikes at the exit. If you back up, you will incur severe tire damage. The lot is the relationship, and the tires are your heart. Keep driving, young Jedi. Keep driving.
xxxo
Josie
Last Call!
Quick reminder, the deadline to enter the Easter Dreamless giveaway is tomorrow.
Good luck!
Easter Dreamless Giveaway!
You asked for it—you got it!
I love Easter. It’s the only time of year you can eat a bunny and not feel like a monster. I like to start with the tail, but I hear that the ears are the first choice of 71% of all chocolate bunny eaters. As usual, I’m in the minority. I really don’t have my finger on the pulse of…well, of anything, really.
But you do!
So once again, as part of the giveaway, I am asking a question that relates to the new series I’m writing. The question is this: Would you give a guy a second chance? And I mean he has totally messed up and done something truly unforgivable, like dumped you so he could date another girl (who is way hot), and then a few months later realized that the hot girl is giant moron and now he wants you back. That’s the kind of messing up I’m talking about.
So, what do you say? Is a guy that hurt you this badly re-dateable, or curb-worthy? Be sure and leave me a comment with your thoughts.
As before, the 1st place winner will receive a signed ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with a signed DREAMLESS bookplate.
In order to enter the giveaway simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Saturday, April 14th. The winner will be announced on Sunday, April 15th.
Thank you and good luck to all!!
Josie
DREAMLESS (Chapters 1 and 2)
I am reposting this and removing the password for those of you who didn’t get a chance to read them.
(NOTE: If I can make a suggestion, the document is best viewed as a PDF.)
Enjoy!
xxxo
Josie
And just like that…
… another hunt comes to an end.
Thank you all so much for participating. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did. Without further ado, the winner of the Yellow Team Contest is…
Alan T.
Congratulations, Alan! Someone will be contacting you shortly. If you have any questions please visit the YA Scavenger Hunt site.
And last but not least, the winner of my contest is…
Becca Fowler
Congratulations, Becca! Be sure and email me your address so I can send you the books.
As for the question (Do you believe in love at first sight?), your responses skewed slightly towards not believing, although there were lots of you who did believe, or at least hoped.
Personally, I don’t think it can be real. I know, I know. I wrote a whole book about it. But if you’ll remember that was actually hate at first sight, which is far more entertaining. I do think first impressions really matter, though. I think they say a lot about how your relationship with another person is going to unfold.
I also think that most of us ignore our first impressions and then, months later, think to ourselves, “I should have known. When I first met him, I thought he was kind of a tool.” Of course, that rarely stops us from dating said tool.
Mostly, I believe in knowing if it’s someone you could love at first sight. But I also think we’re terribly bad at admitting that truth to ourselves when we finally do meet that person.
I have no idea why that is. Probably, we’re all just really stubborn.
But then again, I could be totally wrong.
xxxo
Josie
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt!
Ahoy mateys!
Thank you for stopping by. For those of you who have never taken part in one of these, this tri-annual event was first organized by the amazing Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors, and while at it, win some awesome prizes!
During the Hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, but you also get a clue for the Hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter to win TWENTY signed books, one book from each author on the Hunt on each team!
I am a part of the YELLOW TEAM…
… but there is also a RED team and a BLUE team. You can enter all three contests–which has a total prize bucket of SIXTY signed books!
But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!
Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage to find out all about the Hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter all three!
For my BONUS MATERIAL I have posted the first 2 chapters of DREAMLESS below this post! But in order to access it you’ll have to find the password which is posted in one of the YELLOW TEAM sites.
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
Directions: Hidden within my post is a single letter that is YELLOW. Make a note of that letter! It’s a part of a scrambled phrase. When you go to all the author sites of the YELLOW team, you’ll have all the letters you need to enter the contest.
Entry Form: Once you piece together all the clues to the hunt, make sure you fill out the form HERE to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the completed phrase will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally. Anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize you must submit the completed entry form by April 1st, at noon Pacific Time.
Entries sent without the correct puzzle code or without contact information will not be considered.
And now, let’s get on with the Hunt.
FALSE ALARM!
For those of you who got that “Dreamless, Chapters 1 and 2″ email by mistake– OOOPS! I was testing my blog for the upcoming YA Scavenger Hunt. I’m not exactly savvy, savvy? And I did something or other when I thought I had erased it. Long story short, I accidentally sent it out to all of you. It’s not the first time I’ve sent emails I thought I had erased. *gulp* Anyway, sorry for the mix up. But think how excited you’ll be when you actually get the real deal?
The YA Scavenger Hunt starts the 29th. Over 60 YA authors will be participating, meaning you’ll have a chance to win close to 60 books! For more information here’s the LINK.
Josie
And the winner of the DREAMLESS ARC is…
Camille Oliveras
Congratulations, Camille!!!!
And… the winners of the Dreamless bookplates are:
Emily Ragsdale
Anna Dase
Congratulations! Email me your address and I will get your prizes out to you asap.
As you’ve probably guessed already, funny blew sexy out of the water. Almost all of you, even the ones that said they wanted a sexy guy, said he also had to be funny or it wouldn’t work.
(Note to self… make sure the lead guy you’re writing is funny… and swoon-worthy.)
I bet you’re all wondering where I stand on this. Here’s how I look at it– I’m the funny one, darn it. What I really need is someone to laugh at my jokes. I guess that would mean a sense of humor is implied, so humor is never totally off the table. But if I had to choose, give me the hottie who thinks I’m hilarious and I’m set for life. Lucky for me my husband is sexy AND funny so I don’t have to worry about making tough choices like that (and, yes, he pretty much always laughs at my jokes).
Anyway, thank you so much for your feedback. Your comments are such a big help to me. I’ll be asking you all to riff on other topics as my story progresses.
Also, be sure and mark your calendars. The next YA Scavenger Hunt is set for March 29th. For those of you who don’t know what the YA Scavenger Hunt is and would like to find out more, here’s a LINK.
A total of 60 YA authors are participating in this one, which means you have a chance of wining 60 books from some of your favorite writers!
I will personally be giving away copies of STARCROSSED AND DREAMLESS, as well as a very special treat for all my StarHearts.
I’ll be posting more details in the days to come.
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway! Funny vs Sexy
You all know that I’m working on a new series. It’s part of the reason I’ve promised you blog entires, but can’t seem to get it together long enough to riff on a topic for 500 words. Lame, I know, but right now what I really, really need (apart from your undying patience) is your feedback.
I’m outlining some new characters and, for any of you that are familiar with my process, outlining characters means that I write these ginormous character bios that start from before birth, and include everything from first day of school in fifth grade, to what he/she wore to homecoming.
I’m bananas like that. And the penalty for spending so much time with your characters is that you fall in love with all of them.
This is where you come in. I’ve got two guys. And I sort of love them both. I had to boil it down to the essentials and I decided that my indecision was based on a pretty fundamental question. Do I prefer a serious, smoldering kind of guy, or do I prefer a funny man?
So, here’s my question! Would you pick funny over sexy? What’s more important in a guy in the long run– the ability to make you laugh, or the ability to make the little hairs on your arm sit up like an adoring puppy dog?
WHO WOULD YOU PICK?
But it’s not like I’m asking you to work for free. Leave me your honest opinion and you might just win an ARC! ;)
The 1st place winner will receive a signed ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with a signed DREAMLESS bookplate!
2nd and 3rd place winners will receive signed STARCROSSED Swag!
In order to enter simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Thursday, March 15th. The winners will be announced on Friday, March 16th.
Thank you and good luck to all!!
Josie
And the winner of the 5th DREAMLESS ARC is…
Amy Medeiros
Congratulations, Amy!!!!
And… the winners of the Dreamless Bookplates are:
Christine Howard
Marina Moura
Email me your address and I will get your prizes out to you asap.
Thank you all so much for participating. As always, don’t stray too far as I will be giving away my last Dreamless ARC sometime soon!
The majority of you answered that you’d prefer to date a rock star, btw. Gun to my head? I’d probably go with a rock star, too. If only because I just don’t think I’d be okay with watching my man getting all romantic on another girl for a movie. Especially if his character was constantly declaring his undying love for some little starlet in the biggest tear jerker of the season. EW.
I wasn’t kidding about this being part of my research. I was considering making one of my upcoming characters famous, but after reading all your posts I’m leaning away from that. There are just so many problems with fame–as you all pointed out!
But, I honestly want to know what appeals to you, and as the months progress I will be asking you all kinds of seemingly random questions, some of them pertaining to what you prefer in a man. I know I can count on your help. 
Thanks a bundle, and congrats again to Amy!
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway #5!
Cuz’ it’s Friday! *WOOP-WOOP*
I’m doing research for a new series and I have a burning question to ask all of my lovely StarHearts, so I decided to make it part of the giveaway. (see Rafflecopter entry #1)
And the question of dire importance is… Would you rather date a movie star or a rock/pop star?
As I see it, there are major problems with both. If you’re dating a movie star, you inevitably have to watch him mack on some hot-toddy for a movie. And if you date a rock/pop star, you know you’ll eventually end up with a cold sore.
Seriously though, tell me who you would prefer, and if you’re feeling daring, tell me why! I need feedback, troops.
Now– on to the GIVEAWAY!
The 1st place winner will receive a signed ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with a signed, one-of-a-kind, Lucas bookplate! (thanks James and Jean Vallesteros!)
But wait, there’s more! The 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive brand spanking new, signed DREAMLESS bookplates!
In order to enter simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Friday, February 24th. The winners will be announced on Saturday, February 25th.
(FYI, over the next couple of weeks I want you all to keep checking my blog because I’m probably going to be posting a lot more. As I mentioned, I’m outlining something new, so of course that means I’m going to be stalling like crazy. Who better to stall with than you?)
Good luck to all!!
Josie
Announcement, Announcement!
I’m working on another Dreamless ARC giveaway. Details tomorrow.
xxxo
Josie
And The Winner Of The 4th DREAMLESS ARC is…
Zoe Louise
Congratulations, Zoe!!!!
And last but not least, the winners of the Dreamless Bookplates are:
Amber La Berge
Maribeth Guarino
Email me your address and I will get your prizes out to you asap.
Thank you all so much for participating. As always, don’t stray too far as I will be giving away another Dreamless ARC real soon.
I noticed that a lot of you chose Lucas as your dream date. I’m so flattered so many of you would like to date a part of my imagination. Ian Sommerholder “held” his own. I think he got the second most number of mentions. I’d like to give a big shout out to the vote for Bruce Wayne. Way to go, Batman! Still thrilling the ladies after all these decades.
My husband informed me that my dream date better involve either him or someone who’s dead. Since dead guys are no fun on dates, my husband and I would go on that amazing date in the movie Moonstruck (love that movie). We’d see La Boheme at the Met in NYC in the middle of winter. I’d wear a red velvet dress, and hopefully, we wouldn’t run into my father. Either that or we’d swim with dolphins. Nah, probably the opera. I’m a rotten swimmer.
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway #4!
I’m running low on DREAMLESS ARCs, but I still have a couple left. So, to show you just how much I love you all, I’m going to give it to you instead of my irate sister Louise (who still hasn’t read it yet and is literally inches away from flying out to L.A. to strangle me). That’s how much I love my StarHearts!
In the spirit of how much I love you, and since Valentine’s Day fast approaches, I’ve decided I also want to talk about hot guys. (I mean, who doesn’t?) So, I’ve come up with a question about hot guys as part of the giveaway. :D
The 1st place winner will receive an ARC of DREAMLESS…
… along with a one-of-a-kind, Lucas bookplate! (thanks James and Jean Vallesteros!)
But that’s not all. The 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive brand spanking new DREAMLESS bookplates!
In order to enter simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is Sunday, February 5th. The winners will be announced on Monday, February 6th.
Good luck!! :)
Josie
And The Winner Of The First DREAMLESS ARC Of 2012 is…
Claudia Garcia
Congratulations Claudia!!!!
Email me your address and I will get that ARC out to you asap.
Once again, if you weren’t so fortunate this time, there will be more opportunities to win before the book comes out. In fact, I will be giving another ARC away in the next couple of weeks, so don’t go too far.
As for all your resolutions, I’m sure you’ve all figured out by now that I was just trying to get ideas for what I would put on my own New Year’s Resolution List. You all had great suggestions– working out regularly to get to a healthy weight, spending more time with family, getting your grades up in school, hacking the Pentagon…
I figured it was unfair of me to make you tell me what you were going to do, and not pony up with my own resolution, so here’s mine. I resolve to have more resolve. Especially around Twizzlers. I love those freaking things!
Thank you all so much for being such great sports, and for those of you who lost someone this past year, my heart goes out to you.
Best of luck achieving your goals this year!
Big Hug,
Josie
First Giveaway Of 2012!
Another year. WOW. I can’t believe 2011 went by so fast. All I recall is I had a novel published, and then a bunch of other stuff happened, and then I was lying on a beach in Puerto Rico, thinking; “Where did that chicken come from?”.
I never did get around to making any New Year’s Resolutions, but I did get a tan.
Anywho, time for another giveaway. Another lucky StarHeart is about to win my 3rd ARC of DREAMLESS!
In order to enter simply do the following:
The deadline to enter is (lucky) Friday the 13th. The winner will be announced on Saturday the 14th.
Good luck to all!
Josie
Now That I’ve Settled Back In…
To commemorate the new year, how about a DREAMLESS ARC giveaway?
Sound good?
Tune in tomorrow for details.
Josie
Home From the Holidays!
For all of you StarHearts who were wondering what the heck happened to me, it’s called Puerto Rico. My husband has a lot of family there, and one of his (hundred) cousins got married just after Christmas. It was gorgeous! I shook the daylights out of my maracas–not my boobs, but actual maracas they gave me when the parranda played. I’m waiting for my friend Marcia to send me some pictures of the whole she-bang, and then I’ll post a few of the pics so you all can see how goofy I look when I dance.
Oh, and I finished Book Three on New Year’s Eve day.
Ole!
Josie
And The Winner of the 2nd DREAMLESS ARC is…
Christina Bodden
Congratulation, Christina! E-mail me your mailing address and I will get the ARC to you asap.
Wow, I can’t believe how many of you entered this giveaway. Over 400 entries!! That’s a record.
Anyway, thank you all so much for your support. And please keep in mind that if you didn’t win, I will be giving away another DREAMLESS ARC after the holidays.
As for the blog question, I was really surprised to see that it was fairly even. I thought everyone would want to BE a demigod, but it turns out I have a lot of hopelessly romantic StarHearts!
As for me, I’d rather be one. Why? Cause I’m already married to one. He-he!
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway #2
‘Tis the season of giving! I’m not a fat man with a white beard (for which, my husband is eternally grateful) but I promised you all an ARC of DREAMLESS…
… and an ARC of DREAMLESS is what I’m giving!!
In order to enter this giveaway simply do the following, (please note that each one has a different point value):
a Rafflecopter giveaway
That about does it. The deadline to enter is midnight on 12-20-11 (Pacific Time). I will announce the winner on Wednesday the 21st.
Good luck to all!
xxxo
Josie
Coming Soon! DREAMLESS ARC Giveaway #2!
As promised I will be holding another giveaway before the holidays.
Details tomorrow.
Josie
And The Winter YA Scavenger Hunt Winner is…
Sandra Lin
Sorry I was so late in posting this. Colleen Houck had it up on her site. I assumed everyone would be checking there.
My bad.
Josie
DREAMLESS Excerpt
For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read it…
Chapter One
Red blood bloomed from underneath Helen’s torn fingernails, pooled in the crescents of her cuticles, and trailed down her knuckles in little rivers. Despite the pain, she gripped the ledge more tightly with her left hand so she could try to slide her right hand forward. There was grit and blood under her fingers, making her slip, and her hands were cramping so badly that the center of her palm was starting to spasm. She reached with her right, but didn’t have the strength to pull herself any farther forward.
Helen slid back with a gasp until she was dangling from her rigid fingertips. Six stories beneath her kicking feet was a dead flowerbed, littered with moldy bricks and slates that had slid off the roof of the dilapidated mansion and broken into bits. She didn’t have to look down to know that the same would happen to her if she lost her grasp on the crumbling window ledge. She tried again to swing a leg up and catch it on the windowsill, but the more she kicked the less secure her grip became.
A sob escaped from between her bitten lips. She had been hanging from this ledge since she descended into the Underworld that night. It felt to her like hours, maybe days had passed, and her endurance was flagging. Helen cried out in frustration. She had to get off this ledge and go find the Furies. She was the Descender– this was her task. Find the Furies in the Underworld, defeat them somehow, and free the Scions from the Furies’ influence. She was supposed to be ending the cycle of vengeance that compelled Scions to kill each other off, but instead here she was, hanging from a ledge.
She didn’t want to fall, but she knew that she would get no closer to finding the Furies if she went on clinging here for an eternity. And in the Underworld, every night lasted forever. She knew she needed to end this night and start the next anew, in some other, hopefully more productive, infinity. If she couldn’t pull herself up, that left only one option.
The fingers of Helen’s left hand began twitching and her grip gave way. She tried to tell herself not to fight it, that it would be better to fall because at least it would be over. But still she clung to the ledge with every bit of strength remaining in her right hand. Helen was too afraid to let herself go. She bit down on her bloody lip in concentration, but the fingers of her right hand slid across the grit and finally came away from the edge. She couldn’t hold on.
When she hit the ground she heard her left leg snap.
***
Helen slapped a hand over her mouth to keep the scream from erupting across her quiet Nantucket bedroom. She could taste the flinty grit of the Underworld on her cramped fingers. In the pewter-blue light of predawn, she listened intently to the sound of her father getting ready for the day down the hall. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to hear anything out of the ordinary, and he went downstairs to start cooking breakfast as if nothing were wrong.
Lying in bed, trembling with the pain of her broken leg and her pulled muscles, Helen waited for her body to heal itself. Tears slid down either side of her face, leaving hot tracks across her chilled skin. It was icy cold in her bedroom.
Helen knew she had to eat to heal properly, but she couldn’t go downstairs with a broken leg. She told herself to stay calm and wait. In time her body would be strong enough to move, then stand, and then walk. She would lie and say she’d over slept. She’d hide her sore leg from her father as best as she could, smiling and making small talk as they ate. Then, with a little food in her, she would heal the rest of the way.
She would feel better soon, she told herself, crying as quietly as she could. She just had to hold on.
***
Someone was waving a hand in Helen’s face.
“What?” she asked, startled. She turned to look at Matt, who was signaling her back to earth.
“I’m sorry, Lennie, but I still don’t get it. What’s a Rogue Scion?” he asked, his brow wrinkled with worry.
“I’m a Rogue,” she answered a bit too loudly. She’d faded for a second there, and still hadn’t caught up to the conversation.
Helen straightened her slumped shoulders and looked around at the rest of the room to find that everyone was staring at her. Everyone except Lucas. He was studying his hands in his lap, his mouth tight.
Helen, Lucas, Ariadne, and Jason were sitting around the Delos kitchen table after school, trying to catch Matt and Claire up on all things demigod. Matt and Claire were Helen’s best mortal friends, and they were both incredibly smart, but some things about Helen and her past were too complicated to be taken for granted. After everything they’d gone through, Matt and Claire deserved answers. They’d put their lives on the line to help Helen and the rest of the Delos family seven days ago.
Seven days, Helen thought, counting on her fingers to make sure. All that time in the Underworld makes it feel like seven weeks. Maybe it has been seven weeks for me.
“It sounds confusing, but it’s not,” Ariadne said when she realized that Helen wasn’t going to continue. “There are four Houses, and all four Houses owe each other a blood debt from the Trojan War. That’s why the Furies make us want to kill someone from another House. Vengeance.”
“A billion years ago someone from the House of Atreus killed someone from the House of Thebes and you are expected to pay that blood debt?” Matt asked dubiously.
“Pretty much, except it was a lot more than just one death. We’re talking about the Trojan War, here. A lot of people died, both demigod Scions and full mortals like you,” Ariadne said with an apologetic grimace.
“I know a lot of people died, but how does this blood-for-blood-thing get you anywhere?” Matt persisted. “It never ends. It’s insane.”
Lucas laughed mirthlessly and lifted his eye from his lap to meet Matt’s. “You’re right. The Furies drive us mad, Matt,” he said quietly, patiently. “They haunt us until we break.”
Helen remembered that tone. She thought of it as Lucas’s professor voice. She could listen to it all day, except she knew she shouldn’t want to.
“They make us want to kill each other in order to fulfill some twisted sort of justice,” Lucas continued in his measured tone. “They kill one person from our House, we kill one from theirs in retaliation, and on and on it goes for three and half thousand years. And if a Scion kills someone from his own House, he becomes an Outcast.”
“Like Hector,” Matt said tentatively. Even saying the name of their brother and cousin set off the Furies’ curse, angering the Delos clan. “He killed your cousin Creon because Creon killed your aunt Pandora, and now you all feel an irresistible urge to kill him, even though you still love him. I’m sorry. I’m still not seeing how that’s even remotely like justice.”
Helen looked around and saw Ari, Jason, and Lucas gritting their teeth. Jason was the first to calm himself “That’s why what Helen is doing is so important,” he replied. “She’s in the Underworld to defeat the Furies, and stop all this senseless killing.”
Matt gave up reluctantly. It was hard for him to accept the Furies, but he could see that no one at the table was any happier about their existence than he was. Claire still seemed like she needed to clarify a few things.
“Okay. That’s an Outcast. But Rogues like Lennie are Scions who have parents from two different Houses, but only one House can claim them, right? So they still owe a blood debt to the other House,” Claire spoke carefully, like she knew what she was saying was difficult for Helen to hear but she had to say it anyway. “You were claimed by your mother, Daphne. Or by her House, rather.”
“The House of Atreus,” Helen said dully, remembering how her long lost mother had returned to ruin her life nine days ago with some very unwelcome news.
“But your real father– not Jerry— even though, Lennie, I have to say, Jerry will always be your real dad to me,” Claire amended passionately before getting back on track. “Your biological father, who you never knew and who died before you were born…”
“Was from the House of Thebes.” For a moment Helen met Lucas’s eyes, then quickly looked away. “Ajax Delos.” “Our uncle,” Jason said, including Ariadne and Lucas in his glance.
“Right,” Claire said uncomfortably. She looked between Helen and Lucas who refused to meet her eyes. “And since you were both claimed by enemy Houses you two wanted each other dead at first. Until you…” she trailed off.
“Before Helen and I paid our blood debts to each other’s Houses by nearly dying for each other,” Lucas finished in a leaden tone, daring anyone to comment on the bond he and Helen shared.
Helen wanted to dig a hole straight down through the tiled floor of the Delos kitchen and disappear. She could feel the weight of everyone’s unasked questions.
They were all wondering: How far did Helen and Lucas go with each other before they found out they were first cousins? Was it just a little kissing, or did it get ‘scarred for life’ serious?
And: Do they still want to with each other, even though they know they’re cousins?
And: I wonder if they still do it sometimes.
It wouldn’t be hard for them because they can both fly. Maybe they sneak off every night and…
“Helen? We need to get back to work,” Cassandra said with bossy edge in her voice. She stood in the kitchen doorway with a fist planted on her slim, boyish hip.
As Helen stood up from the table, Lucas caught her eyes and gave her the tiniest of smiles, encouraging her. Smiling back ever so slightly, Helen followed Cassandra down to the Delos library feeling calmer, more self-assured. Cassandra shut the door and the two girls continued their search for some bit of knowledge that might help Helen in her quest.
***
And The Winner Of My Scavenger Hunt Giveaway is…
Colette (Lettersie17)
Congratulations, Colette!
Thank you all who participated. I hope you had as much fun as I did. And don’t worry. I’ll be giving away another Dreamless ARC before Christmas.
Hmm… makes a girl think. I doubt I’ll be able to top the awesomeness that was the Winter YA Scavenger Hunt, but I’ll try to think up something with some pizazz. Personally, I’m terrible at unscrambling words (stupid dyslexia) but over the next week or two, I’ll take some long bubble baths and try to come up with a fun contest.
Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Also, thank you all for sharing your favorite TV shows with me. There is a reason I’m asking. That’s all I can say for now. Seems like Glee and Vampire Dairies had the most fans. To all you Buffy fans: rock on. I didn’t see any Battlestar Gallactica fans. What the frack? Like many of you I have too many TV shows to mention. (Although for right now, hands down, my favorite TV show is Game Of Thrones.)
I’d definitely be a Stark.
xxxo
Josie
Welcome To The Winter…
Greetings Programs!
For those of you who are new to the Scavenger Hunt, the object of the game is to solve a puzzle. Why bother? Because of the GRAND PRIZE. Over 20 books and other prizes from some of your favorite authors!
Plus, throughout the course of your journey, you will also be given the chance to enter other giveaways, and be able to gain access to EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL from some of these same authors.
In my case, it’s the 1ST CHAPTER OF DREAMLESS, the follow-up to STARCROSSED!
But first things first. Today I am thrilled to be hosting the fabulous…
ELANA JOHNSON! (applause please)
Elana Johnson’s debut novel, POSSESSION, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her second novel, SURRENDER, will be out in June, 2012. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers. Elana is represented by Michelle Andelman of Regal Literary.
Here’s a brief summary of POSSESSION.
“Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.”
To purchase a copy of POSSESSION click on the links below.
To find out more about Elana be sure and click on the links below.
And now for Elana’s TOP SECRET and EXCLUSIVE bonus feature! (drumroll please)
Ready for it?
Then click HERE!
Now let’s get on with the –
RULES: To be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE, you must submit the filled-in PUZZLE before 12 noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords must be in the correct place and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered!
BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE!!
** While you’re here, be sure and ENTER TO WIN a signed, advanced reader’s copy of my novel DREAMLESS, the second book in the Starcrossed Trilogy, as well as a signed copy of STARCROSSED!
In order to enter you must do the following:
(NOTE: This is my first time using Rafflecopter so please bear with me. If you have any problems, or can’t see the entry form, leave me a comment.)
And as always, both the Scavenger Hunt and my giveaway are international.
Ready to go to the next website in the Scavenger Hunt?
Then click HERE!
Winter Scavenger Hunt!
Ever since the last Scavenger Hunt we have received tons of requests for another one. So, guess what? Just like Domino’s, we deliver.
The marvelous Colleen Houck has once again put together an amazing roster of authors. For those of you who participated in the last Scavenger Hunt you are in for a treat. This Winter Scavenger Hunt is bigger and better than the first one!
For those of you who are new, this online Scavenger Hunt is a fun way to learn about what’s new and exciting in the world of YA books. Colleen has assembled a group of amazing authors to join us in providing you with bonus material, puzzle challenges, individual author prizes, as well as a chance to win the grand prize, which is a huge collection of signed books from all the participating these authors! Do you have any idea how many books you stand to win here? We’re talking insta-library here, folks.
All you have to do is come visit my blog sometime between Dec 1 and Dec 4.
Here is a list of the outstanding authors who will be a part of the hunt next week.
Rashelle Workman
P.J. Hoover
Gregg Olsen
Laura A.H. Elliott
Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Lani Woodland
Beth Revis
Karen Amanda Hooper
Lisa Bergren
Ali Cross
Elana Johnson
Abbi Glines
Myra McEntire
Amy Plum
Inara Scott
Lisa Nowak
Gina Damico
Amber Argyle
C.K. Bryant
Cynthia Hand
Erica O’Rourke
Brodi Ashton
Kimberly Derting
Leah Bobet
Jocelyn Davies
Angela Corbett
Jessica Shirvington
Gretchen McNeil
Bree Despain
Tera Lynn Childs
Leigh Fallon
Marley Gibson
Claudia Gray
Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Alexandra Monir
Jeri-Smith Ready
Heather Davis
Tara Hudson
Colleen Houck
Colleen is still attempting to add some more authors to the list, but this is a very promising group already. I hope you all are as excited about this as I am. I will not only be giving away an ARC of DREAMLESS, but will be posting THE FIRST CHAPTER ONLINE as my bonus material!
Details will be posted Dec 1 at 12 noon Pacific Time.
So, grab your magnifying glass and call your best friend Watson, ’cause you’ve got some serious sleuthing to do!
xxxo,
Josie
And the 1st DREAMLESS ARC Winner is…!
Damaris Cardinali
Congratulations, Damaris! Email me your address and I will get the ARC to you asap.
Now, before you all start groaning (except for Damaris, of course) I have some good news. My lovely editor’s hilarious assistant, Alyssa Miel, absconded with a few DREAMLESS ARCs and sent them to me.
So guess what I’m going to do with one of those oh-so-hard-to-score ARCs? I’m going to give it to one of you.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon… maybe even next week.
So don’t wander off. As soon as I come out of my Thanksgiving turkey-induced coma, I will come up with something fun and give away another DREAMLESS ARC.
May The Force Be With You,
Josie
Change of Plans (and yes, there was a plan)
I know I said that I would make a video of me drawing the DREAMLESS ARC winner and post it, but I ran into two problems. The first is that there are way too many of you (over 600 entries!!) to fit in a hat. The second is that my hair is a mess. The second is obviously the more important of the two. Plus, I don’t want to have to mow down a whole forest-worth of labeling paper.
But seriously, there were so many participants and so many of you that got multiple entries that I had to turn to this randomizer website, random.org to select the winner. This is new for me, but my pal and author Amy Plum swears by it, and since she’s rarely wrong, I’m going to give it a shot.
So say we all.
Josie
Meet Me In Savannah!
For all you Georgia Peaches (mmm… that sounds delicious), and non-Peaches who happen to be around the Savannah area next Saturday the 19th, I will be at the Savannah Children’s Book Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Forsyth Park in Savannah kissing babies and shaking hands. And… if you want a book signed I’ll do that too.
So please come keep me company. I look forward to meeting you all!
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS ARC GIVEAWAY, NUMERO 1!
Here it is… the big salami. I’m giving away the first DREAMLESS ARC!!! (I’m so excited I’m having my husband spot me so I don’t hurt myself.)
Okay, so here’s how we’re going to do this giveaway thingy.
You’ve all told me how much you love STARCROSSED, now I need you to tell some strangers how you feel. I’m not talking about walking up to people in supermarkets, casually reaching past a fellow shopper to grab a can of peas, and saying, “You know what you should read? STARCROSSED.” (although that would be totally hilarious)
In order to win the first DREAMLESS ARC, you gotta show me some LOVE. I’m talking about going to sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, etc., and telling others how you felt about STARCROSSED. It doesn’t have to be a long review. A couple of sentences will do. Just be your usual clever selves.
BTW, I’m not trying to make you all jump through hoops, or anything. I’m only trying to build some buzz before DREAMLESS comes out, so I need all my amazing StarHearts to get out there and TESTIFY! 
To enter, all you have to do is the following:
1. Add the link to your review in the comments section of this post. Want to write more than one review? Don’t be shy. Just cut and paste. Each review gets you ONE ENTRY. The more reviews = the more entries = the better your chances of winning.
2. Want to earn even more entries? Get a friend to like my Facebook page. Each friend you bring will equal ONE ENTRY. Just leave me a comment on my Facebook page and tell me who you brought so I can make sure and credit you.
This contest is international, which means, it’s open to everyone, no matter what country you’re in.
As usual, the winner will be selected at random. I will even make a video of the drawing.
The deadline to enter is Monday, November 21st at 8pm PST. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 23rd.
Good luck to all!!!
xxxo
Josie
DREAMLESS Cover Reveal!!!
Ta-Da!! As promised, here it is. Very windswept and dramatic, isn’t it? But this isn’t the final, final cover. The final, final cover is going to have the same iridescent foil as STARCROSSED, and the sky is going to be all shiny and rainbow-ie.
I think Harper has done an amazing job once again. Thanks to everyone at Harper Teen!
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think?
Halloween Giveaway Winner!
Happy Halloween!
My favorite holiday, except for the zombie nightmares. Pesky zombies. They’re always trying to bite me.
Anyway! All of your guesses were fantastic, but there is only one ring! (shameless LOTR reference)
And the winner is…
Shelly (shelly62283@aol.com), who guessed… a FAIRY!
Congratulations, Shelly!!! Enter your address HERE and I will get the ring out to you ASAP.
(Note: A couple of other people guessed right, but unfortunately they guessed twice. Sorry, but rules are rules.)
I promised to tell you all why Helen is dressed as a fairy, and it’s not because my pal Aprilynne Pike talked me into it. Helen ends up dressing like a fairy because of a puddle, a dead rodent, and a certain play that the Drama club is putting on. I know, I know. It’s not much but that’s all I can say for now.
A couple of honorable mentions are…
Erin A., who guessed that Helen was going to be dressed as Kate from Die For Me. Why? Because I love Amy Plum. <3
And
roro @roro is reading[rogier], who guessed that Helen would be dressed as Nike. Why? Because the goddess Nike was the inspiration for the Stacrossed cover.
Thank you all for participating! I will be holding another contest real soon. And this one is going to make all of you VERY happy. I’ll be giving away something that rhymes with “bark”.
xxxo
Josie
Halloween Giveaway!
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m doing a giveaway because it’s just plain easier than editing a short story right now. My brain hurts from writing book 3. I’ve been writing like mad. Like mad I tell ‘ya! The good news is that book 3 is coming along great. I can’t wait for you all to read it!
Back to the giveaway. With Rosa Caruso’s permission, I am giving away one of her lovely creations. Yes… the STARCROSSED RING!
Halloween plays a crucial role in DREAMLESS. (I can’t tell you how, but it does.) And of course, Helen wears a costume.
Sooo… in order to win the STARCROSSED RING all you have to do is…
Guess what Helen dresses up as for Halloween.
You can post your answers here in the comments section. (One guess per person please.)
I will collect entries up until Sunday the 30th at 8pm PST, and announce the winner on Monday the 31st on my blog.
If by any chance more than one person guesses right I will randomly select the winner by drawing from my trusty little black bag.
And of course, when all is said and done, I will tell you why Helen dressed the way she did.
Good luck!! <3
xxxo
Josie
Promises, promises…
Okay, so here’s the thing. I may have over-committed myself. I promised you all a short story for Halloween, but I’m afraid to report – that my dog ate it.
Seriously, I really did try, but it was taking way too much time away from Book 3, and I have a deadline to meet. So, here’s what I’m going to do instead –
A GIVEAWAY!!!!
Details to be posted here tomorrow.
xxxo
Josie
A Gift From Italy
I just received this gift box from Rosa Caruso, aka Chocolate Rose, one of our Italian StarHearts.
It’s a Starcrossed necklace and ring!
Aren’t they just gorgeous!?
I shall wear them forever…
I know you can’t see this in the picture, but on the ring and necklace, you can take that little silver clip off and the pages OPEN UP! And there’s, like, writing on the pages. It’s super tiny but I think the text is from my book. I’m going to have to get a magnifying glass to find out. I’ll let you know if I can read it.
Thank you, Rosa!!! <3 <3
xxxo
Josie
PS, I’m thinking of becoming a hand model if this writing thing doesn’t pan out. Check me out on QVC!! LOL!!
And The Winner Of The Tiffany Necklace is…
Due to technical problems (the file was too large to upload on my site… arrg!) the video will be up on my Facebook Page real soon.
As soon as Facebook is done “processing”.
xxxo
Josie
P.S. To the winner – congratulations!! Please email me your mailing address ASAP.
Toga Party Deadline Today!
Only hours to go before THE TOGA PARTY ends! I will be collecting entries until 8pm PST. Remember, I will be posting the winner on Monday here on my blog.
Below are the lovely StarHearts who joined.
1. Penny Moore
2. Nicole Karagiannidis
3. Janae VanderWoude
4. Stephanie Mudd Carrico
5. Kimberly Meza
6. Nicole Mainardi
7. Liliana-mady Oprescu-lachnit
8. Jennifer Miller Howell
9. Heather Bannon
10. Becky Earl
11. Daisy Rivera
12. Minhchieu Tran
13. Allison Tran
14. Michelle Auricht
15. Kristina Ebert
16. Mr. Kristina Ebert
17. Mary Katherine Munar
18. Mary Huff
19. Tezza Valeros
20. Sydney Yocum
21. Izzzy
22. Rosie Hannah Reeves
23. Carli B
24. Tiffany Liu
25. Zoe Harringtonn
26. Alexandra Garcia-Tena Coquis
27. Velvet Wehrman
28. JaCi Sikora
29. Fleur Delacourt
30. Anika Przybilla
31. Kendall Silwonuk
32. Shelby Dodge
33. Chloe Sumner
34. Lisa Doucet
35. Katherine Kainz
36. Birgit Grandits
37. Grace Clyde
38. Andrea Barreto
39. Yosbe Cr
40. Alison Deere
41. Maria Hausberger
42. Agustina Isasmendi
43. Emma Hunter
44. Yasmin Diamond
45. Alex Eastaugh
46. Samantha Fox
47. Roberta Arteni
48. Shana Jakowlew
49. Samantha Fox
50. Melinda Smith
51. Hannah McCormick
52. Brenna Staats
53. Jordyn Sullivan
54. Kat Chamsay
55. Lucile Ogie-Kristianson
56. Kim Waters
57. Sarah Heron
58. Sarah Donley
59. Ciji Jacober
60. Janisha Wright
Good luck to you all!!!!!
Josie
Toga Party Deadline Approaching!
Just a quick reminder that the end of summer is just days away, which means that the deadline to enter THE TOGA PARTY is also just around the corner. It is this coming Saturday the 24th at 8pm PST.
For those of you who don’t know what THE TOGA PARTY is and would like to join, click here.
Toga, toga, toga…!
xxxo
Josie
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